大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #87, with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.
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How to use 了
One of the most confusing subjects for students of Chinese is how, when, and where to use 了(le). This video from MandarinMonkey.com introduces 了 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj_HznNhOw8&feature=share
Twitter: @Mandarin_Monkey
More about 了
Another view of 了 is from LearnChineseNow.com:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbgV277znjY
Twitter: @LearnChineseNow
把 vs. 被
This video from HanbridgeMandarin.com presents the differences between 把 sentences (in which the object is emphasized) and 被 sentences (which are passive):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOzUWlwttA
Twitter: @HanbridgeOnline
Instruments
Play an instrument? Just like music? In either case, here is a video introducing a number of instrument names in Chinese:
https://chelseabubbly.com/2016/09/06/chinese-vocab-for-instruments/
Twitter: @Chelsea_bubbly
As soon as …
A useful grammar pattern is 一。。。就, indicating that just after doing X you did Y. This video from ChinesePod.com explains it well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQw7ORzmUso
Twitter: @ChinesePod
Question words in non-questions
We’re taught that we can ask questions with certain words. But those words can also be used in non-questions. Sound confusing? Here is an explanation, along with examples:
https://themandarincornerblog.com/2016/09/08/when-a-question-word-isnt-a-question/
Strokes of Chinese characters
Chinese characters are built from components, but those components are built from strokes. Here are the names and shapes of those strokes:
http://learningchineseblog.com/strokes-in-chinese%e6%b1%89%e8%af%ad%e7%ac%94%e5%88%92/
Translation challenge
Olle Linge is back with another Chinese challenge, this time in the area of translation. How well (and how much) can you translate? Details are here:
http://www.hackingchinese.com/challenge-site-upgrade-september-translation-challenge/
Twitter: @HackingChinese
Again and again
How can you describe an action that is repeated? You can use 又 (yòu), as demonstrated here:
Twitter: @Chelsea_bubbly
Give me a hand
Just as you can say “give someone a hand” in English, you can do that in Chinese with the expression 搭把手 (dā bǎ shǒu):
http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2016/09/11/saying/
Types of skirts
Enjoy wearing skirts? Here are some different types of skirts, and their names in Chinese:
http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2016/09/09/meeting-skirt-in-summer/
Starter questions
Want to have a conversation with Chinese speakers? Sure, but where do you start? Here are some good questions you can use to start a conversation — or, if someone asks you these questions, you can already prepare an answer:
https://www.writtenchinese.com/chinese-friends/
Twitter: @WrittenChinese
Chinese cuisines
We often talk about Chinese food — but in actuality, there are many types of Chinese food, from different parts of the country. Here are four examples of regional cuisines, along with vocabulary and pronunciation:
http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/4-Regional-Chinese-Food
Twitter: @YoYoChinese
iPhone 7 words
As many people have heard, Apple has unveiled the iPhone 7. What’s new about it? Well, here are some words to describe the updates in Chinese:
http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2016/09/10/describe-iphone-7-features-chinese/
Twitter: @HelloChineseApp
A strategy for improvement
How can you hope to improve your Chinese fluency? It’s nice to say “practice,” but what sort of practice? This article gives some concrete suggestions for pushing ahead:
http://www.digmandarin.com/how-to-improve-chinese-speaking-writing-proficiency.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
Autumn vocabulary
Summer is just about over (in the northern hemisphere); to describe the coming of autumn in Chinese, here are some useful vocabulary words:
http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-fall-vocabulary/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Exploring Luoyang
Luoyang (洛阳) is one of the four ancient capitals of China, and has some amazing art. Here’s an introduction to this city, with vocabulary words to describe it:
http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/exploring-the-ancient-capital-of-luoyang/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Comedy from Da Shan
If you’re a Westerner studying Chinese, you’ve probably heard of Da Shan, a Canadian actor and comedian whose mastery of Chinese is legendary. Here’s a video (with a transcript in characters and Pinyin) of a comedy routine:
http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/dashan-and-his-first-crosstalk/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Chinese signs
Traveling to China? There will be some signs (and sign-related words) that repeat themselves. Here are some good ones to keep in mind:
https://chelseabubbly.com/2016/09/11/6-important-chinese-public-signs/
Twitter: @Chelsea_bubbly
Delicious!
You can say that something is delicious with 好吃 (hǎo chī), but is there any other word or phrase that expresses this idea?
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/51f0lz/synonyms_for_%E5%A5%BD%E5%90%83/
Repeated 把
Someone asks what it means to have 一把把 in a sentence. The best answer shows how you sometimes have to pick a sentence apart; in this case, the first 把 is being used as a measure word:
Coming and going
The characters 来 (lái) and 去 (qù) aren’t only used as verbs (coming and going), but also to indicate direction, which can be tricky:
http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/52399-%E5%8E%BB-and-%E6%9D%A5/